Dust separator



1 13, 1956 D. HAGENBUOK DUST SEPARATOR Filed Aug. 5, 1954 INVEIVTOR Loy D. Ha genbook W 7 A T TORNE Y United States Patent DUST SEPARATOR Loy D. Hagenbook, Chicago, Ill., a'ssi'g'nor 'to Goodman Nialrlllufacturing Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation 0 111015 Application August 5, 1954, Serial No. 448,034 Claims. (Cl. 183-4 This invention relates generally :tO dust separators and particularly to an improved dust separator for use with dust educting drills which dispose of cuttings and dust through an eductor hose.

An object of this invention is to provide 'a low cost unit to which a hose, bringing dust-laden air from an outside source such as a drill, can be connected and immiersed in water to achieve substantially 100% precipitation of dust in the water. This is particularly applicable and advantageous in drilling operations in quarries and the like where a sump of water is commonly close at hand.

Other objects and advantages will be developed in the following description, taken in connection with the drawing which illustrates one preferred form of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the dust separator comprises a housing generally designated 21 having a top Wall 22 which may be: circular or any other suitable shape, side walls 23 (which, of course, would simply be a single wall if the topand the housing are round), and an open bottom 24. The top wall is perforated as at 26, 26. Extending through one of the walls, in this case the top one, preferably at or near the center, is an inlet pipe 27, welded in place as at 28. A dust eductor hose 29 laden with a mixture of dust, cuttings and air from an outside source, such as a drill, disclosed in Holman, Cram and James application Serial No. 232,172, filed June 18, 1951, on Rock Drilling Apparatus, now abandoned, is fastened to the outside end of the inlet pipe 27 by means of a clamp 31. The end of the pipe 27 within the housing 21 is open at 32 and the wall immediately adjacent the opening 32 is provided with a plurality of perforations 33.

If desired, a number of holes 26a, auxiliary to those designated 26, may be formed in "that portion of the side walls 23 enclosing the air chamber 41 for maximum gas emission at minimum back pressure.

The separator may be immersed in any convenient tank or pool of water, preferably about a foot under the surface. In the present illustration, 34 illustrates the floor of a sump such as commonly found in rock quarries and 36 indicates the surface of the Water. If the water is too deep, some means of floating the dust separator about a foot or so under the surface may have to be employed in order to prevent undue back pressure in the eductor tube 29.

While it is not essential in all cases, it will usually add to the effectiveness of the device to provide aspirating means, such as indicated generally by the numeral 37, in the inlet pipe just outside the housing in order to inspire water from the sump to obtain p re-mixing of dust, water and air within the inlet pipe itself.

At times when the drill or other unit feeding the hose 29 is not operating, the water within the hose will rise to the level of the surface 36, thereby wetting the interior of the hose. In order to prevent dust from collecting and building up on this wetted area, and possibly even choking the hose or inlet pipe, the asp-irator may be installed alternatively as shown at 3711 with its exterior end dipping beneath the water surface. This will positively wash down the inside of the pipe and hose so no dust can build up in them.

Secondary mixing is obtained as the mixture of dust, cuttings and air pass out of the opening 32 and the perforations 33 into the main body of water in the housing. Thus, by the time the mixture exits from the pipe into the housing, the dust is substantially Wetted and all of the large particles and most of the rest drop immediately into the pile 38 at the bottom. The pressure within the housing causes the pile 38 to be worked out, a number of legs 39 being provided along the bot-tom of the walls 23 in order to facilitate this. Where the accumulation of dust in the pile 38 is so rapid that it cannot Work its way out the open bottom fast enough, it is a relatively simple matter to lift the housing and set it down on a clear space unless the separator is floated above the bottom, as mentioned, in which case the cuttings drop clear, through the open bottom.

The total cross sectional area of the perforations 26 should be at least as great as the inside cross sectional area of the pipe 27. On the other hand, the total area of the perforations 26 should not be so large as. to permit channeling of the dust-laden air up through the housing for this will permit some dust to escape as large bubbles of dust-laden air are permitted to bubble up from the housing. For best operation the perforations 26 should be such that there will normally be an air chamber 41 just under the top 22 so as to distribute air evenly for passage through all of the perforations 26. This will then perm-it the air to percolate in relatively small streams upwardly, as illustrated, for wetting and removal of the dust. Obviously the housing will have some buoyancy if the air chamber 41 is any appreciable volume; accordingly, it will usually be preferable to make the walls heavy enough to overcome this buoyancy or simply to attach some weights 42, 42 onto the housing. In operation, the dust-laden air in the dust eductor hose 29 enters the inlet pipe 27. As it passes the small tube comprising the aspirator 37, water will be drawn into the tube for a primary mix. Secondary mixing occurs at the bottom end of the tube, whence most of the dust drops into the pile 38. Some of the extremely fine, flour-like dust will be carried upwardly through the air chamber 41 and will percolate upward through the sump in relatively small streams shown. Pure lair, free of dust will exit from the top of the Water surface 36.

While one form in which the present invention may be embodied has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and variations thereof may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, while the inlet tube 27 has been shown passing through the top 22, it will likewise function advantageously if it passes through one of the side walls 23. It is preferable, however, that the pipe 27 discharge at a point somewhere beneath the center of the perforated top 22 in order to equalize the distribution of the gas over the percolating plate 22.

I claim:

1. A dust separator completely immersible under liquid, said separator comprising a housing having side walls, a perforate top wall and an open bottom defining an air chamber, said housing being weighted to offset the buoyancy of air within said chamber when said separator is completely immersed under a liquid, an open-ended inlet pipe extending through the center of the top wall having one end thereof adapted for connection to an eductor hose bringing a mixture of dust-laden air from a source located remotely therefrom, the other end of said pipe terminating in a perforated portion disposed within said 3 housing, an aspirator mounted in said pipe, said aspi-rator having the suction end thereof located outside the housing effectively inspiring liquid into'said pipe responsive to the flow of dust-laden air theret hrough to pre-mix liquid and dust-laden air within said pipe and the perforated end portion of said pipe being effective to further mix and facilitate settling of dust through the open bottom of the housing and the passage of dust-free air through the perforate top wall.

2. A dust separator completely immersible under liquid, said separator comprising .a housing having top and side wall portions, an open ended inlet pipe extending through one of said wall portions, one end of said pipe being adapted to be connected to an eductor hose bringing dust-laden air from a source looated remotely therefrom, the top wall portion of said housing having a plurality of perforations therethrough, the total area of said perforations being at least approximately equal to the inside cross-sectional area of the inlet pipe, an aspi-ri-ator in said pipe disposed outside the housing effectively inspiring liquidinto said pipe to pre-mix liquid and dust-laden air therein prior to the entrance of the air into the housing.

3. A dust separator completely im mersibl-e under liquid comprising a housing having a perforate top wall and an open bottom, an open-ended inlet pipe extending through said top wall, one end of said pipe being adapted for connection to an eductor hose bringing a mixture of air and dust from a source located remotely therefrom, the other end of said inlet pipe terminating in a perforated portion disposed within said housing, aspirator means mounted on said pipe exterior of said housing effectively inspiring liquid into said pipe responsive to the flow of dust-laden air therethrough to pre-mix liquid v 4 and dust-laden air within said pipe prior to the passage of the dust-laden air into the housing.

4. A dust separator completely immersible under liquid comprising an open-bottomled housing having a perforate top wall, an open-ended inlet pipe extending into said housing, one end of said pipe being connectable to a hose bringing dust-laden air from a source located remotely therefrom, an aspirator means mounted on said pipe exterior of said housing effectively inspiring liquid into said pipe responsive to the flow .of dust-laden air therethrough to pre-mix liquid and dust-laden air within said pipe whereby the dust laden air will be wetted by liquid within the pipe prior tot-he entrance thereof into the housing. I

5. A dust separator. comprising a perforated openbottomd housing, an open-ended inlet pipe extending through said housing, said separator in operative position being completely immersed in a liquid, one end of said pipe being connectable to a hose bringing dust-laden air from a source located remotely therefrom, the other end of said pipe terminating within said housing, an aspir-ator means mounted in said pipe having the suction end thereof disposed outside the housing, said aspirator means effectively inspiring liquid into said pipe responsive to the flow of dust-laden air t-herethrough to pre-mix liquid and dust-laden air within the pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

